Soil anti-scourability enhanced by herbaceous species roots in a reservoir water level fluctuation zone

Revegetation is one of the successful approaches to soil consolidation and streambank protection in reservoir water level fluctuation zones(WLFZs).However,little research has been conducted to explore the impact of herbaceous species roots on soil anti-scourability during different growth stages and under different degrees of inundation in this zone.This study sampled two typical grasslands(Hemarthria compressa grassland and Xanthium sibiricum grassland)at two elevations(172 and 165 m a.s.l.)in the water level fluctuation zone(WLFZ)in the Three Gorges Reservoir(TGR)of China to quantify the changes in soil and root properties and their effects on soil anti-scourability.A simulated scouring experiment was conducted to test the soil anti-scourability in April and August of 2018.The results showed that the discrepancy in inundation duration and predominant herbaceous species was associated with a difference in root biomass between the two grasslands.The root weight density(RWD)values in the topsoil(0-10 cm)ranged from 7.31 to 13 mg cm^(-3) for the Hemarthria compressa grassland,while smaller values ranging from 0.48 to 8.61 mg cm^(-3) were observed for the Xanthium sibiricum grassland.In addition,the root biomass of the two herbs was significantly greater at 172 m a.s.l.than that at 165 m a.s.l.in the early recovery growth period(April).Both herbs can effectively improve the soil properties;the organic matter contents of the grasslands were 128.06%to 191.99%higher than that in the bare land(CK),while the increase in the water-stable aggregate ranged from 8.21%to 18.56%.Similarly,the topsoil antiscourability indices in both the herbaceous grasslands were larger than those in the CK.The correlation coefficients between the root length density(RLD),root surface area density(RSAD)and root volume density(RVD)of fine roots and the soil antiscourability index were 0.501,0.776 and 0.936,respectively.Moreover,the change in the soil antiscourability index was more sensitive to alternations in the RLD with diameters less than 0.5 mm.Overall,the present study showed that the perennial herbaceous(H.compressa)has great potential as a countermeasure to reduce or mitigate the impact of erosion in the WLFZ of the Three Gorges Reservoir.

Early response of understory vegetation to the mass dieback of Norway spruce in the European lowland temperate forest

Spruce-dominated forests are commonly exposed to disturbances associated with mass occurrences of bark beetles.The dieback of trees triggers many physical and chemical processes in the ecosystem resulting in rapid changes in the vegetation of the lower forest layers.We aimed to determine the response of non-tree understory vegetation to the mass dieback of Norway spruce(Picea abies)in the first years after the disturbance caused by the European spruce bark beetle(Ips typographus)outbreak.Our study area was the Białowieża Biosphere Reserve covering the Polish part of the emblematic Białowieża Forest,in total 597km^(2).The main data source comprised 3,900 phytosociological relevés(combined spring and summer campaigns)collected from 1,300 systematically distributed forest sites in 2016–2018–the peak years of the bark beetle outbreak.We found that the understory responded immediately to mass spruce dieback,with the most pronounced changes observed in the year of the disturbance and the subsequent year.Shade-tolerant forest species declined in the initial years following the mass spruce dieback,while hemicryptophytes,therophytes,light-demanding species associated with non-forest seminatural communities,as well as water-demanding forest species,expanded.Oxalis acetosella,the most common understory species in the Białowieża Forest,showed a distinct fluctuation pattern,with strong short-term expansion right after spruce dieback,followed by a gradual decline over the next 3–4 years to a cover level 5 percentage points lower than before the disturbance.Thus,our study revealed that mass spruce dieback selectively affects individual herb species,and their responses can be directional and non-directional(fluctuation).Furthermore,we demonstrated that the mass dieback of spruce temporarily increases plant species diversity(α-diversity).

Effect of canopy gap size and ecological factors on species diversity and beech seedlings in managed beech stands in Hyrcanian forests

We studied the species diversity of the herb layer and ecological factors in harvest-created gaps in beech stands under a single-tree selection system in Northern Iran. To determine diversity, the number of beech seedlings, and other ecological factors, 16 gaps were selected and subplots of 5 m2 were positioned at the centre and at the cardinal points of each gap. Species richness and Simpson diversity index increased with increasing gap area as did numbers of seedlings. With increasing humus layer thickness, species richness declined but the Hill evenness index increased. Species richness increased with increasing light availability. There was no relationship between crown radii of beech trees and diversity indices. Correlations between environmental factors and numbers of individuals of some species in the herb layer were not significant except in a few cases. The results help explain the effects of man-made gaps on the dynamics of managed beech stands and this benefits evaluation of silvicultural operating plans.

Global multifaceted biodiversity patterns,centers,and conservation needs in angiosperms

The Convention on Biological Diversity seeks to conserve at least 30%of global land and water areas by 2030,which is a challenge but also an opportunity to better preserve biodiversity,including flowering plants(angiosperms).Herein,we compiled a large database on distributions of over 300,000 angiosperm species and the key functional traits of 67,024 species.Using this database,we constructed biodiversity-environment models to predict global patterns of taxonomic,phylogenetic,and functional diversity in terrestrial angiosperms and provide a comprehensive mapping of the three diversity facets.We further evaluated the current protection status of the biodiversity centers of these diversity facets.Our results showed that geographical patterns of the three facets of plant diversity exhibited substantial spatial mismatches and nonoverlapping conservation priorities.Idiosyncratic centers of functional diversity,particularly of herbaceous species,were primarily distributed in temperate regions and under weaker protection compared with other biodiversity centers of taxonomic and phylogenetic facets.Our global assessment of multifaceted biodiversity patterns and centers highlights the insufficiency and unbalanced conservation among the three diversity facets and the two growth forms(woody vs.herbaceous),thus providing directions for guiding the future conservation of global plant diversity.

Plant responses to simulated warming and drought:a comparative study of functional plasticity between congeneric mid and high elevation species

Aims Effects of climate change,especially changes in temperatures and precipitation patterns,are particularly pronounced in alpine regions.In response,plants may exhibit phenotypic plasticity in key functional traits allowing short-term adjustment to novel conditions.However,little is known about the degree of pheno-typic plasticity of high elevation species relative to mid elevation congeners.Methods We transplanted 14 herbaceous perennial species from high eleva-tion into two common gardens(1050 and 2000 m.a.s.l.)in the Swiss Alps,and we examined plastic responses in key functional traits to changes in temperature and soil water availability.This design was replicated with 14 congeneric species from mid elevation to assess if the degree of phenotypic plasticity differs between mid and high elevation species.Survival was assessed across two growing seasons,while aboveground biomass and specific leaf area(SLA)were measured after the first growing season,and biomass alloca-tion to belowground and reproductive structures after the second.Moreover,a phenotypic plasticity index was calculated for the func-tional traits to compare the degree of plasticity between mid and high elevation species.Important Findings Aboveground biomass was higher in mid elevation species relative to high elevation congeners in all treatments,yet decreased for both with elevation and drought.Similarly,SLA decreased with elevation and drought.Root mass fraction(RMF)was generally higher in high ele-vation species,and decreased with drought at the lower site.Drought increased the allocation to reproductive structures,especially when plants were grown at their elevation of origin.Interestingly,no differ-ence was found in the degree of phenotypic plasticity averaged across mid and high elevation species for any of the studied functional traits.These results indicate that phenotypic plasticity in the focal traits did not depend on the elevation of origin of the species.Plasticity was not related to environmental heterogeneity,nor constrained by selective pressures at high elevation.However,both species groups showed a remarkable capacity for short-term acclimation to a prospective cli-mate through rapid adjustments in key functional traits.